Archive for the ‘ For Real Tho ’ Category

1
31
Dec

2012 // The Year of TCB

Oh, 2012.  What a year you’ve been!  When I decided to write a year in review post, I began listing out all of the highlights of the last 12 months and discovered quite quickly that 2012 was indeed the year of takin care o’ business.  Since I was too busy to do much blogging this year, here’s a little recap on all of the super fantastic and/or life-changing shit Team Bowman has dealt with this year:

I quit drinking soda.

So, if you’ve read this blog in the past year, you already know this.  Because out of the whopping 6 posts I published this year, 2 of them were about quitting soda.  I decided to do so as a new year’s resolution to break my killer Diet Coke addiction and not only did I make it an entire year, I don’t regret it one bit!  Who needs bubbly chemical water when you can drink delicious iced tea!  It was the only new year’s resolution that I can remember being successful at, which bodes well for 2013′s resolution (which I have yet to decide on).

 

Team Bowman

The hubs and I both quit smoking.

Now this… this is a big deal.  As of 2012, I’d been a smoker for a total of 15 years.  FIFTEEN!  Sure, I quit once.  But it only lasted a year and I was tempted every day I was sans-cigarette.  This year, all of the pieces necessary for success fell into place: (1) I was older, and therefore much more TIRED OF IT ALREADY; (2)  cigarettes are much more expensive now; (3) I live in Michigan and being a smoker in the winter is a special kind of hell for this Florida girl, and (4) my husband Jeffrey was ready to quit as well.  He’d been a smoker for about the same amount of time, but he smoked much more than I did and I must admit, I doubted his success.  But when they say having a buddy helps, it’s really true!  After we made it through the first few weeks of torturous withdrawals, we haven’t looked back and our lungs thank us every day.

Hand to Claw released their debut album.

Jeffrey’s latest musical project, Hand to Claw, released their debut album digitally in February.  Written long-distance over the course of 6 months with the help of Garage Band and Dropbox, and recorded live in a whirlwind 2 week jamfest.  In addition to digital sales, you can find Hand to Claw on Spotify, Pandora, and more!

Jeffrey (and I, by proximity) embarked on a quest of intellectual and spiritual enlightenment.

This is really something for a blog post all its own, but yeah… we’re expanding our minds.

 

Emily Mahood Bowman

I got a new job.  And I friggin LOVE it.

Not that I didn’t love my job at U of M, but the split role of Experience Architect and Content Strategist at Organic is like it was custom-made for me.  I’ve worked on some kickass projects with some kickass people so far, and I really see myself succeeding there.  Every day brings a new challenge and opportunity to learn or strengthen a new skill.  AND, the UX team there is a group of super-smart women who make great mentors and even better friends.  What more could I ask for professionally?

I finished my second graduate degree.

After a short 2.5 years, I completed all the courses and internships required for my MSI at U of M.  I still have some bureaucracy to wade through to get my degree in hand, but that’s just a matter of paperwork.  Despite the student loans I have looming, going back to school at U of M is probably one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

We moved to Awesome Clawson.

As much as we loved Ann Arbor, the new commute to my new job helped us realize that life would probably be much easier if we moved back to the Detroit area. Shorter commute  + more affordable rent = a bigger house in Clawson!  We were looking in the Ferndale/Royal Oak areas, but we got more house for our money in Clawson, as well as a super-cute downtown area less than a mile from our house AND an easier drive to pretty much everywhere in Detroit.  It may be a small bedroom community now, but Clawson is on the rise!

Our family lost some treasured souls.

This year we said goodbye to my grandmother Roma and Jeffrey’s Aunt Julie.  While neither passing was particularly shocking, they each hit hard for different reasons.  Needless to say, our lives will never be the same without them.

The startup I worked with–Thrively– launched a private beta.

Now, I didn’t have a whole lot of involvement with the Thrively beta launch, but since I made some contributions in the startup’s infancy, I’m going to count it.  It feels so great to see something that I contributed to evolve into a viable product!  Our fearless leader, Nick, is still leading the effort in revolutionizing feedback and I can’t be prouder of how far Thrively has come.  If you’re cool, stop by and request a beta invite!

 

Maple Arcade window

We opened our art gallery, Maple Arcade.

Holy moly, this was a big one.  I’m planning to write a big ol’ post of lessons learned from this adventure, but it’s gonna be a long one, so look out.  Hindsight is 20/20.  But so is gratitude, and that’s what we’re feeling.  Although it feels like we’ve been working on the shop all year long, it’s really only been 4 months.  And 2.5 of those months we were working on the renovations.  It seems as though every time I start to worry and doubt, a new goal is reached or a new opportunity presents itself.  We may not be where we want to be yet, but with each passing week, Maple Arcade becomes a better experience for us, our artists, and our customers.  Look out for a new website, added inventory in our Etsy shop, and a new sign for our storefront!

I had bariatric surgery.

Holy newsflash!  I had my stomach stapled!  While not necessarily a secret, I didn’t tell many people about this one for fear of unsupportive reactions.  But since it’s all said and done and I give much less of a shit about what others think, I figured I might as well include it on this list.  It was a major life-altering event, after all.  I was just too fat, y’all.  And my body just couldn’t handle another failed attempt at weight loss.  So, I decided to bring in the big guns and have a vertical sleeve gastrectomy.  So far I’ve lost about 62 pounds and I’m working for at least another 75.  Even in a mere 3 months, I am healthier now than I have ever been and I don’t regret it for a second.

We hosted some lovely house guests.

Traveling was at a minimum this year due to the moving and business expenses, but we did get to host a few guests in our new home (complete with guest room!).  Jeffrey’s momma joined us for the 4th fo July as our very first houseguest… she got to share in the infamous Clawson Independence Day festivities, as well as enjoy some record heat.  My BFF Jen came to visit for our annual “superhos” reunion and we spent a good week eatin, drinkin, and chillin like villans.  She even stayed long enough to have a visitor herself–the very talented writer and banjo player, Adam Schmidt, who graced us with some fireside bluegrass!  My momma came to nurse me back to health after my belly surgery and spent most of the time quilting.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.  We also got a couple of overnighters from my friend Butter (a fellow Floridian turned Michigander) and Jeffrey’s cousin Carolyn.  While I hope we can do a little more traveling in 2013, I love hosting guests and hope we’ll have more.

We’re experimenting with vegetarianism & veganism.

Yes.  This is happening.  Due to my surgery-related protein requirements, I have to hold onto the dairy and eggs.  But Jeffrey has already made it a few weeks sans-animal and he reports feeling great.  The real challenge is for my cooking.  So if you’ve got some killer vegan recipes, send ‘em my way….

Annnnd I’ve crossed a few other things off of my 101 in 1001 list.

I kind of stopped paying attention to this, but when I revisited it, I realized I did, indeed, make some progress!  Such as:

11. finish my second masters degree
12. get a new job
17. update my professional portfolio
18. update my personal website
26. enter a chili cook-off
28. lose 40 pounds
45. take a hip hop dance class (Zumba counts, right?)
62. get my online presence organized (Did it this week, as a matter of fact.)
65. get health insurance
66. quit smoking
68. refinish the dressers
72. visit the detroit historical museum (Organic Holiday Party FTW!)
78. get my teeth whitened
98. donate/throw away 100 things i don’t need

So that’s what kept us busy this year.  Here’s to a happy and productive 2013!

xo Em

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1
Dec

Reverb // Humble Beginnings

I’m in the mood to reflect, so I’m hoping on board Reverb 11 and spending the month of December looking back at 2011. 

Hot tub
CC BY-SA Flickr user Andrei!

Prompt for December 1: Humble beginnings.  Where did 2011 begin for you?  Describe where you were, be it physically, emotionally, or otherwise.

2011 began in the backyard hot tub at my in-laws… soft fluffy snowflakes meeting the warm, bubbly water as I hid underneath.  I wouldn’t say I was hammered.  Just a bit inebriated… as is likely on New Year’s Eve.

I remember being somewhat disappointed early in the evening.  Perhaps it was because my family just left and it was my first NYE without my people.  That, and barely anyone showed up to the party at my in-law’s house.   Where was the loud music?  The dancing?  The illicit drugs strong drinks?  I felt like I was getting too old, too fast.  Paired with my move-induced depression, seasonal affective disorder, and chronically low bank account, I was probably the last person anyone wanted to hang out with.

But after a few beers, some good conversation, and a dip in the hot tub, things began to look up as I held on to every shred of gratitude I could muster.  For it was a BEAUTIFUL night and I was with BEAUTIFUL people.

The next morning I started my first day of January as I had always hoped I would, but never managed to due to the oh-so-common New Year’s Day hangover–getting everything organized for a new year.  I cleaned the house, I balanced my (meager) checkbook, did some goal-setting, and packed my bag for school.  It warmed the cockles of my Virgo heart.

I vowed that this would be a great year.

I vowed to get out of my funk.

I vowed to get thing done and take care of business.

And I did all of those things, for the most part.  I made sacrifices, as we all do, and I think next year I will make some vows to repair or renew those things that I sacrificed in 2011.  My marriage, my hobbies, my health.

xo Em

1
3
Nov

On Friends and Loneliness

Do you read Penelope Trunk?  Because you should.  It’s funny though, as a “career expert” she does very little writing that is explicitly about careers.  It all relates to careers somehow, but she mostly just writes about things we don’t want to acknowledge about ourselves and about life.  Like how you shouldn’t do what you love, you should pay more attention to sex than money, and no, women can’t have it all.  Despite sounding like something you don’t want to read, her blog is something you SHOULD NOT MISS.

Penelope Trunk has Asperger Syndrome and just about every other month or so she has me thinking I do too.  This is partially due to the fact that I have a slight case of hypochondria AND that people with Aspergers have a lot in common with introverts, which if you haven’t already guessed, I am.  In her latest article she talks about loneliness.  And about how difficult it is for people with Aspergers to make and keep friends.  Naturally my identification with this trait has me thinking that I’ve gone 31 years without anyone acknowledging that I OBVIOUSLY have Aspergers.  Damn doctors.

Really, though, it makes me want to admit to the internet that I am lonely too.  Cue the tiny violin, y’all!

Not lonely in the “I have no friends, I want to kill myself” kind of way, but rather in the “Make new friends? Ehhh” kind of way.  I already HAVE friends.  Great, wonderfully fantastic friends.  With fancy gang names–like the Gulf Coast Kooter Brigade–and a vast collective memory of good times and wacky aliases.  They just happen to be–with the exception of the hubs–living very far away from me.  And while phone calls, Facebook chats, letters, and care packages can take me pretty far, sometimes a girl just needs someone to hit a happy hour with, ya feel me?

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Here’s my problem: having a long-time, close-knit group of friends who totally and completely get me makes it HELLA hard to find new friends that can live up to my expectations.  Not to go all Virgo on you, but I generally have pretty high standards for the folks I spend my time with.  Must have smarts without arrogance, personal style without being materialistic, and one hell of a sense of humor–ALL kinds of humor.  No self-proclaimed hipsters, born-agains, or all-around douchebags. Anyone who watches The Bachelor on a regular basis or Jersey Shore without shock and disgust need not apply.  Last, but certainly not least, we gotta CLICK, baby.

While I’ve certainly come across a cool chick or two here in Michigan, it’s that last one that screws everything up. Making friends can be awkward, and I don’t play that.  I’m so grateful I’ve got Jeffrey… as long as I’ve got him, I’m good.  Just hoping one day I’ll come across some kindred spirits in Michigan who appreciate my nerdiness, can get down on a decent brew, and can tell a good joke.

What about you?  Have you ever had a hard time making friends–by choice or otherwise?  Where’d you score your posse at?

xo Em

0
13
Sep

I Know That’s Right

Via Swiss Miss.

0
10
Sep

Back to School Y’all

Site/flow mapping
CC BY-NC Flickr user boxman

This week, in addition to revamping my blog a bit, I started fall classes at SI.  As much as I dread the insanity that a full load of graduate classes brings, I LOVE “back to school” season and all of the hope and excitement that it brings.  Before the readings, before the boring lectures, before the all-nighters, there is this.  This feeling, this hope, that perhaps one of these classes you’re about to dive into will be the one that changes your life.  And of course, organizing your backpack and folders and buying supplies is pretty awesome, too.

So far I’ve only attended one class, as most of my classes are on Mondays.  And last Monday was Labor Day, hence, no class.  So it’s like I get TWO first weeks of class.  I mentioned once before–really confusingly, I admit–what I am studying, but I’d like to share a little more about my actual classes.  Chances are I’ll be showing off some of my work here over the next few months and it would probably help to know where it’s all coming from.  So, without further adieu… my fall schedule:

Database Application Design

Bright and early Monday morning I’ll be diggin into some MySQL and PHP code with my favorite instructor, Dr. Chuck.  He’s got some great resources on his site, so if you’ve ever wanted to learn how to program in Python or build an app with Google App Engine, check it out.  Anyways… in addition to honing my database coding skills in this class, I’ll be doing some group design/consulting for a client with some fellow students.  People like to hate on group work in school, but it is seriously the best way to learn how to apply skills in the real world.

Interface & Interaction Design

Ooooo doggy, this one’s gonna be exciting.  As the name implies, this course is the flagship user interface/interaction design course at SI.  In addition to learning the basic concepts of UI/IxD, I’ll get to do some practical application in class and design/build something for a client with another student group.  That’s two, if you’re counting.  I’ll likely be doing some of what is pictured above… BRING ON THE DRY ERASE MARKERS!

Content Management Systems: Configuration

I’ll be wrapping up my Mondays with this course, which is often referred to as “the Drupal course” even though there are 3 courses in Drupal at SI.  You’d think with a title like “Content Management Systems” we would be using more than one, but Drupal is the most robust, complex, and scalable of them all, so that’s what we work with.  However, I may be dropping this one as I’ve done a lot of work in Drupal recently and this course may be a little too intro for me.  And, it requires another client project.  That would be THREE. GROUP. PROJECTS.

Programming

More coding.  This time in Java, which I am completely new to except for some haphazard JavaScript I’ve played around with.  I’ve already attended two of these classes and the good news is: I like the teach.  Bad news is: the textbook cost me $130.  Seriously.  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Transformative Learning & Teaching with Technology

This course is my cognate, meaning it is hosted in another school.  In this case, it’s the School of Education, which I am mad familiar with thanks to my M.Ed..  I’m pretty sure this is a theory course, so I’ll be reading and writing mostly.  About technology as an educational tool.  Oughta be interesting, as well as give me a break from all the coding.

So there you have it.  This is what will be occupying 60% of my time this fall.  Probably more like 80%.  Shit.

Are you a student?  What’s kinda learnin you got goin on this semester?

xo Em

 

 

4
25
Jul

For Real Tho // About Me

Since I just decided to fork over two days of Diet Coke money for an ad for this blog, I figure I ought to do a more descriptive “About Me” post for any potential new readers.  You know, just in case they wouldn’t be able to discern from my posts that I am a 30 year old nerd with great ambitions and little necessary follow-through.  Luckily you, my dear friends and random family members who actually read this, get to benefit as well!

Wha?

So, yeah, my name is Emily and I am a 30 year old graduate student living in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  I am originally from the south and YES, enduring a Michigan winter for the first time last year was probably the worst thing ever.  As you may have guessed, I attend the University of Michigan and you will likely encounter an obligatory “GO BLUE” or two when reading this blog.  Whenever people ask me what I am studying at U of M, I often have a brief anxiety attack before replying with something like this:  “It’s like if all the new hip librarians broke up with libraries and started sleeping with web developers and they had kids who were really into digitizing their old LP’s and crowdsourcing what they want to eat all the time.”  Umm, maybe it would make more sense if someone else explained it.

Anyhow, I spend my days in class, in project meetings, or at one of my part-time gigs in the technology or the digital curation departments. My nights, however… my nights belong to this hunk:

Viva el toro!

And this bitch:

mapes

We spend a lot of time watching movies, sittin on the porch, and cuddling.  Other than all things internet, I enjoy LAUGHING, cooking and baking, reading (mostly non-fiction), drinking good beer, and celebrating the artistic achievements of my friends and family while secretly bemoaning the fact that I have little artistic talent myself.

Also, I have just come to the realization that I am quite self-deprecating.  Hmph!  Learn somethin new everyday.

If there is anything else you’d like to know, do a simple Google search–I’m sure it’s out there somewhere.  If not, feel free to drop me a line at emily dot mahood at gmail dot com.

xo Em

PS – I wouldn’t be a proper southern lady without saying thank you for stoppin by darlin!